Eric Paslay, ‘Song About a Girl’ – ToC Critic’s Pick [Listen]

‘Song About a Girl’ is the song that will take Eric Paslay’s career to new heights. Sure, ‘Friday Night’ was a No. 1 hit, but this edgy rocker is the one that will grab you by the ears like Grandma used to do.

Lyrically, it’s not the strongest moment on ‘Eric Paslay.’ Really, he’s spending the better part of four minutes describing what the song is about, and then he’s done. The songwriter stepped back to let producer Marshall Altman have a showcase moment, and together they created a track unlike anything else on the album.

“This ain’t about Chevys / Ain’t about money / Ain’t about blue suede shoes, coo-coo-ca-choos / Got nothin’ to do with that,” Paslay sings before the banjo and fiddle take the song into a chorus.

That ‘Song About a Girl’ is being released at a time fans are growing tired of songs about Chevys, tailgates, bonfires and water towers is a nice coincidence.

“This ain’t about goodbyes / Ain’t about comebacks / Oh, got nothing to do with the stars and the moon / Man, you’re gettin’ way off track,” he adds to close the second verse.

The industrial rhythm section and vocal effects strip the traditional edge from this song and provide an outlaw vibe that Paslay seems very comfortable taking forward. Lyrically, it may not be his deepest offering, but it sure is fun to sing along with:

“It’s a song about a girl / It goes like this / Ah, little heartbreak queen / Rockin’ the jeans / Baby, just read my lips.”

After scoring a hit with the relatively safe ‘Friday Night,’ Paslay deserves credit for taking a chance by releasing ‘Song About a Girl,' one of the best songs released this year.

Key Lyrics: "It’s a song about a girl / It goes like this / Ah, little heartbreak queen / Rockin’ the jeans / Baby, just read my lips"

Did You Know?: Producer Marshall Altman just recently began working with country artists. Most of his earlier success was with singer-songwriters or pop artists like Natasha Bedingfield, Kate Voegele and Matt Nathanson.